brown



(No Model.) 5 SheetsSheet 1.

J. 0. BROWN,

MOWING MACHINE.

No. 444,238. Patented Jan. 6, 1891.

(No Model.) 5 Sheets-Sheet 2.

J. 0. BROWN. 1

MOWING MACHINE. No. 444,238. Patented Jan. 6, 1891.

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(No Model.) 5 Sheets-Shet 3. J 0 BROWN MOWING MACHINE.

Patented Jan. 6, 4 891.

(No Model.) 5 sheets sheet 4.

J. 0. BROWN;

' MOWING MACHINE.

No. 444,238. Patented Jan. 6, 1891. v

(No Model.) 5 sheetssheetfi. J 0 BROWN MOWING MACHINE.

No. 444,238. Patented Jan. 6, 1891.

WITNESSES! G% f FU ETED 1 STAT-Es PATENT FFICE;

JAMES C. BROVN, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO BROWN SELF SHARPENING MOVVING MACHINE COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

MO'WING-MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 444,238, dated January 6, 1891.

Application filed October 10, 1888. Serial No. 287,738. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I,'JAMEs O. BROWN, of Boston, in the county of Suffolk and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Mowing-Machines, of

which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to endless cutter mowing or reaping machines in which the cutting-knives are-attached to a chain adapted to be moved in one direction to accomplish the cutting action, said chain passing around sprocket-wheels located at each end of the finger-bar.

The invention has for its object to provide devices whereby a mowing-machine of the class mentioned may be rendered more convenient of operation, simpler in construction, and whereby friction of the working parts will be reduced to a minimum, and also to provide devices whereby the weight of the cutter-bar may be so regulated as to be made to bear lightly on its attached shoes, thereby rendering the machine more easy of operation and of much lighter draft. The invention consists, first, in springs ar ranged to have a tendency to lift the fingerbar, and thereby in elfect reduce its weight and its friction on the ground, so that the machine may be more easily drawn than heretofore.

The invention also consists in improved means for attaching the finger-bar to the machine and detaching the same therefrom. The invention also consists in an improved construction of the shoe to which the inner end of the finger-bar is attached, whereby the cut grass is prevented from clogging the sprocket-wheel which impels the endless series of knives, thereby rendering the machine more easily operated and preventing loss of time in removing said clogged grass.

The invention also consists in certain other improvements and details of construction, all of which I will now proceed to describe and claim.

Of the accompanying drawings, forming a part of'this specification, Figure 1 is a perspective view of a mowing-machine embodying my improvements, parts being broken awayj Fig.2 represents a plan view of the same, parts also being broken off. Fig. 3 represents an enlarged sectional view on the line m m, Fig. 2. Fig. at represents a perspective detail View hereinafter explained. Figs. 5

and 6 represent detail views hereinafter referred to. j Fig. 7 represents a section on line m 0:, Fig. 2. Fig. 8 represents a section on line y y, Fig. 5,lookingin the direction of the arrow in said figure. Fig. 9 represents asection on line'y 3 Fig. 8. Fig. 10 represents a section on line 2 2, Fig. 11. Figs. 11, 12, and 13 represent detail views hereinafter described. Figs. 14: and 15 represent, respectively, a top and a longitudinal sectional view of the outer end of the finger-bar. Fig. 14 represents a section on line 14 14, Fig. 12. Fig. 15 represents a section on line 15 15, Fig. 12. Figs. 16 and 17 represent perspective views of the bolts shown in Figs. 12, 14-, and 15.

The same letters and numerals of reference indicate the same parts in all the figures.

In the drawings, A represents the main frame of the machine, and BB the driving and supporting wheels. The frame A is secured to a sleeve A, which is upon the axle B and between the wheels B B, and said frame extends forward and supports at its forward end the cutting mechanism.

C is a portion of the pole or tongue, and D the drivers seat, as commonly arranged in machines of this class.

(1 represents the finger-bar, provided with suitable guard-fingers and attached at its inner end to a shoe 1), which is connected, as hereinafter described, with the main frame A.

The cutting-knives 0' are secured to links 19, forming an endless sprocket-chain, which is engaged byadrivingsprocket-wheel d,supported by the shoe 1) and byaloose sprocketwheel, as shown in Figs, 2 and 15, at the outer end of the finger-bar, said loose-wheel being acted on by a spring, which keeps the chain under the proper degree of tension by drawing the loose sprocket-wheel away from the 5 driving sprocket-wheel. The driving sprocket-wheel is attached to a shaft 4", which is journaled in a socket or bearing formed on an arm a, which arm is attached to the vertical flange b? of the shoe 1).

I construct the finger-bar a. taperingfrom its inner to its outer end, as shown in Fig. 2. This construction does away with unnecessary weight at said outerend, making themachine lighter of draft and doing away with superfluous stock where the strain upon the bar is nominal. The inner and wider end of said bar is secured in any suitable manner to the shoe Z). Said shoe is provided with a circular opening a under the sprocket-wheel (I, so that any grass or straw that may collect under said wheel may pass downwardly through said opening instead of winding around the shaft of the wheel and packing so tightly as to seriously impede the operation of the machine and cause a loss of power, as has heretofore been the casein this class of machines.

e represents a rocking sleeve journaled in bearingsfg in the main frame A, and having a downweirdly-projecting web It formed integral therewith. The shoe 1) is made somewhat L-shaped, its lower lateral arm 1 extending under and supporting the finger-bar a and the cutters and its upwardly-extending arm or flange b secured to the web hby bolts, and said web adapted to fit the rear side of the arm or flange If. The finger-bar a is secured to the lateral arm 1 of the shoe by means of bolts. The web is provided with a rib i, to the lower end of which is attached the bar 7', supporting the shoe, as clearly shown in Fig. 8. Extendingthrough the rocking sleeve 6 and adapted to rot-ate therein is the shaft 7., which communicates motion from the main driving shaft or axle A of the machine to the shaft r and to sprocket-wheel (I, said shaft 7; having attached to its outer end a bevel-gear Z, meshing with another bevelgear on and having on its inner or opposite end a bevel-gear n, meshing with the drivinggear 0, secured to the main shaft or axle of the machine in the usual manner. The manner of securing the shaft 7c in place and the ready detaehability of the same, together with rocking sleeve 2, forms another feature of my improvement, which I will now describe.

1) represents a groove formed in the periphery of that portion of rocking sleeve 6 that is journaled in bearing 9. (See Fig. '7.) Said groove is adapted to receive a pin g, which is driven through a hole in the bearing g from the upper side into the groove extending down, and is slightly tapering, so that it can be easily removed, said pin projecting sufficiently through a hole in the bottom of the bearing to enable it to be driven upwardly when necessary to remove it.

It will be seen by reference to Fig. 7 that gear at is of such diameter that it can pass readily through the bearings g f in which the rocking sleeve 6 is journaled, so that by simply removing pin q the rocking sleeve e, together with shaft In and the shoe and finger-bar, may be detached from the machine.

It will be seen that the manner of connecting the shoe Z2 to rocking sleeve e and the engagement of the latter with the main frame very simple and effective and permits of a ready removal and application of the rocking sleeve e, shaft 7c, shoe b, and finger-bar a.

I have shown in Figs. 4. and 12 improved means for obviating the wear and friction on the shaft 7 by the strain exerted on the sprocket-wheel (l by the tension of the knife carrying chain.

S, Figs. 4, 12, and ll, represents a frictionroll secured to an arm 2., formed on the arm a, in which shaft 9' is journaled, and adapted to rotate on a pin r, the lower portion of the latter having flat sides 3 3, Fig. 16, bearing against the sides of a slot 20 in said arm to prevent the pin from rotating, said slot permitting said roll to be moved toward shaft r when necessary to adjust the roll to compen sate for wear of the same. The pin '1) is firmly held in place by a nut t' on the bottom end of the same. (See Fig. 1M.)

(1 represents a roll similar to roll S, journaled on the pin v and placed at the lowerend of and bearing against shaft 1', the upper por tion of the pin 1: having flat sides is, Fig. 17, engaging with the sides of the slotw. The pin '0' is secured in place by a nut 1 Fig. 15. Said rolls S and a relieve the shaft 7' of the lateral strain exerted by the knife-chain on the sprocket-wheel (Z and obviate completely the friction usually attendent upon the shaft in this class of machines. Such friction has been a source of difficulty by heating the shaft 2', and thereby causing damage and delay. By the employment of the friction-rolls S and a this difficulty is largely avoided and less frequent lubrication of shaft 0' is required, as will be readily understood.

lleretofore in this class of machines, and in fact in allclasses of mowing and reaping machines, the weight of the finger'bar at the outer end of the same has made the machine heavy to draw, and consequently has impaired its efiiciency. To obviate this difficulty I have provided an S-shaped spring Z2, one loop of which encircles and is adjustably attached to the rocking sleeve e by means of thumbscrews 2 2, passing through said spring and having their ends impinging upon the sleeve 6. The other end of said sleeve bears on the under side of a roller 0, journaled in bearings in a short arm cl, formed on the lower end of the lifting-leverf, which lever is pivoted on a fixed stud e on the frame A of the machine. (See Figs. 1, 2, and 5.) Said lever f is provided with a pin g, (shown in dotted lines in Fig. 5,) with which pin is engaged the upper end of aspring h. The lower end of said spring is secured to the stud c. Said spring exerts a pressure upon leverf' in the direction indicated by the arrow in Fig. 5, thereby causing the arm (1' of said lever to exert a downward pressure on the outer end of spring I), which acts as a yielding lever, having the rocking sleeve e for its fulcrum, and tends to rock said sleeve, and thus raise the outer ends of finger-bar a to the extent required by the adjustment of spring 72'.

This tendency of the spring it, While not actually lifting the outer end of the finger-bar,

naturally decreases its downward pressure on the ground, and thus lightens the draft of the machine.

'i' represents a spring secured at one Gilt to the tongue or pole of the machine (see Fig. 5) and at the other end engaging with a roller j, journaled in bearings on an arm formed integral with the frame of the machine and extending outwardly at right angles with the driving-shaft B'of the same, so that the tension of the spring being exerted on said arm with the shaft B as a fulcrum will operate to lighten the weight of shoe 1) upon its attached carrier, and consequently throw the weight of said devices upon the main driving-wheels. The tension of spring 2" is regulated by a bolt Z, extending downwardly through the tongue or pole and having a nut on its upper end adapted to be screwed up or down on said bolt as circumstances may require. (See Fig. 5.)

To raise the cutter-bar from the ground, I have provided a chain on, the bottom end of which is attached to the casting (l on the lever f and the upper end secured to the top frame of the machine, so that when the lever f is thrown back in the dotted-line po sition shown in Fig. 5 the outer end of sleeve e, with its attached cutter-bar, will be raised clear from the ground, as shown in said figure.

In Fig. 3 I have shown means for adjusting the top plate n of the finger-bar in connection with the knives o and chain 19'. It is necessary that means should be provided to preventthe knives from tipping upwardly, and thus impair their cutting action. To this end I have constructed the top plate at with an offset, having screws q extending through the same and engaging with finger-bar a. By screwing down screws q the top plate 11. can be brought in such close proximity with the cutting-knives as to keep them securely in place, as already shown in Fig. 3. The forward edge of the plate has a tendency to spring upwardly, so that its height is governed by the heads of the screws q. The loose wheel (1 around which the cutter-chain passes at the outer end of the finger-bar, is j ournaled on a stud or bearing 06 which is affixed to an arm (1 Said arm is pivoted at d to the shoe at the outer end of the finger-bar and is secured to the free end of a spring d the opposite end of which is attached by a screw d to said shoe. The spring exerts stress on the swinging end of the arm (Z and the Wheel 61 thereon in such manner as to keep a constant tension on the cutter-chain. To prevent the wheel 01 from yielding or moving toward the driving sprocket-wheel so as to slacken the chain, I provide a plate 19 attached to the finger-bar by bolts g passing through slots 3 in said plate. The plate has a shoulder 1*, Fig. 15, which is arranged to act as a stop to prevent the arm d and wheel 01 from moving toward the driving sprocket -wheel. Said shoulder or stop may be adjusted by means of the slots 3 and bolts (1 I claim 1. The shoe 1), having an orifice 0, combined with the shaft 0", journaled in a bearing above the shoe and provided with the sprocketwheel located over said orifice, as set forth.

2. The combination of the main frame having bearings f g, the rocking-sleeve e, journaled in said bearings and detachably secured to the bearing g, the finger-bar-supporting shoe attached to the rocking sleeve and provided with the knife-chain-driving shaft 7", and the shaft 7c, journaled in the sleeve e and connected to the main drivingshaft by a gear n and to the shaft '1' by a gear Z, said gear n being smaller than the diameter of the bearings f g, whereby when the rocking bearing is released from the main frame said rocking bearing with the shaft 70 may be moved endwise through the bearings fg, as set forth.

3. The combination of the main frame, the lifting lever pivoted on a stud e, affixed thereto and having the short arm 61', .the rocking sleeve journaled in bearings on the main frame and containing the power-transmitting shaft 7c, the finger-bar attached to said sleeve, and the spring or yielding arm I), affixed at one end to said rocking sleeve and resting at its other end against a roll journaled in the arm (1' of the lifting-lever, as set forth.

4. The combination of the main frame, the liftinglever pivoted on a stud e, affixed thereto and having the short arm 61', the rocking sleeve journaled in the main frame, the finger-bar attached to said sleeve, the spring-arm b, affixed at one end to said rocking sleeve and resting against a roll journaled in the arm d, and the spring h, secured at one end to the lifting-lever and at the other end to the stud e and arranged to impart a backward pressure to the lifting-lever, as set forth.

5. The combination of the driving-axle A the main frame mounted thereon and having an arm is projecting forward at right angles with the axle, the tongue pivotally connected with the main frame, and the spring 11, attached to the tongue and engaged with the arm 7;, as set forth.

6. The combination of the knife-chain, the finger-bar, the arm d", pivoted to the outer end of the same, the loose wheel d journaled on the free end of said arm, a spring for drawing said free end outward, and a stop to the inward play of said wheel, as set forth.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification, in the presence of two subscribing witnesses, this 21st day of August, A. D. 1888.

JAMES 0. BROWN.

Witnesses:

O. F. BROWN, W. O. RAMSAY.

IIO 

